Gordon Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Arkie Division on Lake Ouachita
OutdoorHub 03.04.13
Shawn Gordon of Russellville, Ark., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Arkie Division event on Lake Ouachita. For his victory, Gordon earned $3,514.
“I thought I would get a check and that would be about it,” said Gordon. “I didn’t think that I was going to win. Normally it takes a lot more weight to win on this lake. I think the key to my victory was slowing down and not running around too much.
“All I did was fish main lake points,” Gordon continued. “If it was real windy, I would throw an XCalibur Rattle Bait, and when it was less windy, I would throw a ¾-ounce Booyah football jig. All of my fish were in 10 feet of water or less. I was throwing out to where you could see the bottom and pulling it back to the drop-off.
“I had seven bites throughout the day and only landed five of them,” Gordon went on to say. “I broke one off on a jig and lost one on a Wiggle Wart. I was pretty lucky to get the bites I did.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Mark McDonnel, Benton, Ark., five bass, 14-12, $1,757
3rd: Quincy Houchin, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 14-0, $1,172
4th: Matthew Mize, Ben Lomond, Ark., five bass, 12-10, $820
5th: Dennis Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 12-9, $703
6th: Danny Gwinn, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 12-7, $644
7th: Cody Kelley, Conway, Ark., three bass, 10-13, $586
8th: Terry Cordum, Fort Smith, Ark., five bass, 10-7, $527
9th: Kevin Fant, Kirby, Ark., five bass, 10-4, $469
10th: Larry Gragg, Pine Bluff, Ark., four bass, 10-2, $410 + Evinrude Bonus: $300
Josh Tittle of Warren, Ark., weighed in four bass totaling 11 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win $1,757 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Jeff Reece, Dardanelle, Ark., five bass, 9-9, $879
3rd: Jason Yarbrough, Amity, Ark., five bass, 9-7, $585
4th: Brian Choate, Conway, Ark., four bass, 7-14, $410
5th: Daimon Mitchell, Little Rock, Ark., three bass, 7-11, $351
6th: Austin Pittman, Maumelle, Ark., two bass, 6-10, $322
7th: Pete Clark, Malvern, Ark., three bass, 5-13, $293
8th: Tom Olson, Benton, Ark., two bass, 5-11, $264
9th: Jamie Green, Hot Springs Village, Ark., three bass, 5-9, $234
10th: Joe Coble, Malvern, Ark., two bass, 5-8, $205
The next BFL Arkie Division tournament is scheduled for April 6 on Millwood Lake in Ashdown, Ark. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Texoma in Pottsboro, Texas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27–29 on the Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
